Cursed
by NerdGirlTheSecond
Summary: One-shots about Zeref's childhood. Some stuff they don't explore in the manga/anime. (I don't own the cover)
1. Prologue-Thingy

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Sadly.

He knew he was cursed when the dragons came.

The moment he saw them he knew that he was no match for them. Heck, he didn't even know that they existed before he saw them with his own eyes.

Their majesty and power was obvious. It was obvious, too, that the dragons had thought nothing of him and his family.

...That's why he ran the moment he saw them. He regretted it to this very day. During that time, even though he wasn't a believer he still ended up praying.

 _Some help that did._

In the end, he was the only one that lived. His family, friends and town were dead.

The worst part? His brother was dead, too. His only little brother, the only thing that had mattered to him, was dead.

Charred remains of ash on burnt flakes of wood. Nothing more than empty memories and reminisces.

He truly tried at first to get over his family's death. Sure, he missed them, but he could never seem to get over his brother.

His innocent, (mostly) honest and idiot of a little brother who died before he had turned five. It just didn't seem fair.

If there was a god out there, why did he kill a five year old? Why didn't he help?

These thoughts entered his head often. He knew the answer now, of course.

He was doomed as the villain right from the start.

If they wanted a villain, they got a villain. These were his thoughts.

At this point, all he wanted was to show those dragons (even Ansankeram, if he existed) that they didn't truly take his little brother away from him.

Death wasn't permanent. Right? What he was doing was the right thing.

Looking back on it, he isn't so sure.

 **AN: Short little thing. If I get enough views (20+), I'll continue it. Like it? Hate it? Let me know. Also, in case you need an anime to watch, I recommend Blood Lad. It needs more of a fanbase. Anywho, byez! Post coming up when I feel the inspiration, updates are random. ^.^ Have a good day, people!**


	2. The One Magic

**Disclaimer: There would be a lot more brotherly fluff if I owned Fairy Tail.**

Zeref was always a strange child. He was proper like boys should be, of course. Needless to say that he was certainly a genius.

She has no doubt that he would grow to be someone very influential one day.

What was strange was the child's obsession with the 'one magic'. Since his parents were always busy, she had offered to take care of him when they were gone.

"Ilia-san."

She turned her head to find Zeref standing near the doorframe. "Yes, Zeref-kun?"

He looked down silently, blushing all the meanwhile. "I was wondering if you could take me to the library later..." He responded shyly.

She smiled fondly. Zeref had always been a very introverted, shy child. When she had first taken him to the park, he had refused to play with the other children and instead had read one of her books.

"Of course, Zeref-kun. We can go after lunch, if you'd like."

The boy nodded gleefully, his smile lighting up the room.  
 _He's going to break hearts one day,_ she thought fondly.

"Okay!" He chirped. "Thank you, Ilia-san!"

She chuckled softly as he followed her to the kitchen.

"Can I help you make lunch?" He asked eagerly.

She sighed softly. "Why of course, Zeref-kun. But please do not eat the food before I cook it."

Zeref pouted. "...Okay, Ilia-kun." He peered over her shoulder. "What are you making anyway, Ilia-san?"

She chuckled. "Stew, Zeref-kun." Stew was cheap to make; and lasted for a week or more. Being poor (albeit richer then Zeref's parents), this was important.

She chopped the vegetables and put them into a boiling pot of broth.

"Mmmm... It smells good, Ilia-san."

She smiled, pouring the stew into two bouls. Zeref reached his hands out eagerly. She smirked teasingly. "You have to wait until we get to the table."

Zeref pouted, but complied. When they were both seated, he began to eat.

"Eat slowly, Zeref-kun. That's all you're getting." She had been careful not to let him overeat. The child was a glutton, and had nearly eaten all her food once (to her exasperation).

"Thus ess-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full." She may have been poor, but she at least knew decent manners.

Zeref swallowed. "Sorry, Ilia-san..."

She smiled. "It's fine, Zeref-kun. You didn't know."

He smiled. "This is really good... You should be a cook, Ilia-san!"

She smiled sadly. "Are you done, Zeref-kun?"

He nodded, and she gave him a stern look.

"What am I- Oh! I'll put the stew away, too." Zeref got up, taking both his and her bowl and cleaning them.

"Don't forget to put the stew away too, Zeref-kun." She reminded.

"Right, Ilia-san!" Banging was heard in the kitchen, and soon Zeref came out.

"Can we go now?" He asked eagerly.

She chuckled. "Of course, Zeref-kun." Getting up, she closed the door. She didn't have anything for people to steal, so why lock the doors?

The library was (luckily) not too far from where she lived. She was sure Zeref would implode if he had to wait any longer.

They both started to walk towards their destination.

"Ilia-san,"

She looked up. "Yes, Zeref-kun?" She replied.

Zeref blushed. "Yesterday my parents said something about the king..."

She chuckled. Since Zeref's family was so poor, he never heard all that much about the higher society. "The King? What about him?"

"Oh... I was wondering about his family... What do you think they're like..?"

That's right. Zeref had never met anyone other than her and his family, if she was not mistaken. Genius though he was, one could never judge emotions no matter how smart they are.

"The royal family is much like yours, Zeref-kun... There is a mom, dad and a child." She explained.

"Do they possess the one magic?" He asked eagerly.

"As far as I know of the royal family, no. Then again, I don't know very much about the royal family. I've never met them. Maybe you should check out a book about it..."

Zeref nodded, eyes lit up at the thought of something he didn't know. "We're here!" He shouted eagerly. "Come on, Ilia-nii, come on!"

She jolted. Zeref took this as a chance to drag her inside the library. _That's right,_ she reminded herself. She had been taking care of Zeref for as long as he could remember. As far as she knew, he had no siblings or anyone to call family besides his parents.

Yes, she didn't mind.

"Ilia-nii, I'm going to go look at some books..." Zeref pushed his hair out of his face. "-is that alright?"

She nodded absentmindedly. "Of course. Go right ahead, Zeref-kun. I'll be right here." She murmured.

"It's so nice of you to take care of Zeref-kun, Ilia. I don't think I'd be able to do such a thing."

She looked up to greet the face of her older sister. Her sister worked at the library often; most times in the promise of jewels.

"Well, you have a family to take care of, after all. I have no one to come home to."

"Such a shame... You're so pretty, too..."

She laughed. "Don't get me wrong. I've had plenty of offers, but I want to be my own person. I want to wait for someone that will treat me like a person."

"Ah, but with those ideals... Anyways, it's not even about my family... Zeref-kun is such a rambunctious child. I don't think I'd be able to deal with him as often as you have to."

She shrugged. "Zeref-kun is very nice when you get to know him."

Her sister sighed. "Whatever you say, Ilia,-"

"Ilia-san!"

She turned her head. "Yes, Zeref-kun?" Two books were slid onto her lap. One being thick and worn, the other being small and looked rather new.

"Can I use this table?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, smiling. "Of course, Zeref-kun."

As Zeref spread out the books on the table, her sister looked at her strangely.

"You are aware those books are in Latin, correct?" Her sister stated confusedly.

"Yes, I am well aware... Zeref-kun is smart, he'll figure it out." She chirped.

"He is only a child, Ilia... Children cannot figure these things out. How do you know that he can even read?"

Her sister was always one for stereotypes, as were most others. She wanted to make sure that Zeref would never be one of those people.

"I taught him." She felt a small tug at shirt, and an excited yelp.

"Ilia-nii, you know a bit about the one magic, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course."

Zeref squinted. "It says here... that the one magic uses something called Ethel. And that the Ethel flows through all living things..." He looked at her excitedly, eyes widened.

"Does that mean that I could have the one magic?"

She chuckled at her sister's drop-jawed expression. "Maybe, Zeref-kun... You know, if you want those books, I will buy them for you!"

Zeref looked down shyly, rubbing his head. "They're expensive, Ilia-san... You can't afford them."

She cupped Zeref's chin, smiling. "Nonsense, Zeref-kun. You're such a smart boy, and besides," she winked, "-think of it as an investment to your future."

Zeref smiled brightly. "Thank you, Ilia-nii!" Grabbing the books, he ran out of the library.

"Wait, Zeref-kun! I still have to buy the books!" She yelled frantically.

She smiled. _Zeref was going to do great things one day._

...

"What do you mean, Ilia-nii?" Zeref's eyes were filled with confusion.

She kneeled down so she met Zeref's face. "I'm very sick, Zeref-kun... I have to move back home, to where my family lives so they can take care of me..."

"But... Can I come with you, Ilia-nii?" Zeref asked eagerly.

"No, Zeref-kun... You have a family here that cares about you. They'd be sad if you left..."

Zeref sniffled. "You'll come visit, right Ilia-nii?"

She smiled. "I'll try."

Tears were flowing down his face as they shared a silent farewell.

...

Months later, he'd heard that Ilia had died. He supposed, thinking back on it, this was why he could never really cope too well with death.

Smiling sadly, his eyes moved to a thick, worn book.

"Goodbye, Ilia-nii."

 _He had never gotten to say a proper goodbye._

 **AN: Wrote this during a baseball game in the rain. Monster to type on a phone. Please, review or I'll send Natsu to set your house on fire.** **Yes, I know. OC. There's gonna be a few but it's mainly brother fluff. I PROMISE. ^.^**


	3. The Embodiment of Summer

"Zeref, can we talk to you about something...?" His mother was sitting on their small couch in their living room. Next to her was his father, staring down at the floor.

He looked at them understandingly. "If this is about school, I-"

His mother shook her head, smiling. His father pat on a small empty space on their couch, gesturing for him to sit down.

He sat down. "What do you want to tell me?" He asked quietly.

"Well," His mother started. Her hand was absentmindedly rubbing her stomach, a proud look on her face. "We want you to know that we'll always love you, Zeref."

He frowned. They weren't sending him away, were they? He knew that they were poor, but they still had enough money to get by...

His father smiled proudly. "You're going to be getting a little brother," he responded.

He smiled broadly. Ever since Ilia-nii had died, he had been left in the small house alone. Sure, it gave him time to read about the one magic, but it was lonely. "Really?"

His parents laughed. "We're glad to see you're so excited about it, Zeref."

Taking on a serious expression, his father sighed. "Zeref," he started tenderly.

He looked over at his father. "Yes?"

"We got assigned to work in the mines tomorrow," he explained. "-we won't be able to be with you on your birthday tomorrow..."

His mother looked away guiltily. "We're sorry, Zeref... We couldn't afford a birthday present, either..."

He smiled tenderly, hoping to comfort his upset parents. "It's fine! After all, I'm getting a little brother!" He looked down, blushing. "Plus, I have the book Ilia-nii bought me," he murmured.

His parents smiled sadly. "We're glad you understand, Zeref. Now, we have to get to bed. We have to be up at 4 tomorrow for work."

He nodded. "Night, mom. Dad."

"Goodnight, Zeref." His parents responded.

Walking to his room, he shut the door. Picking up a well-worn, thick leather book, he set it down on the floor and flipped to the newest page.

He'd been studying the Latin so much that he was able to read it almost like his first language. The book, however was a code in a code.

Some of the book was coded in a scramble, whilst others were missing words. It was rare that the book was in plain text.

 _The one magic, the book read. The one magic separates into 6 branches: Earth, water, fire, air, light, and dark magic. Under these 6 known branches other magic stems to form smaller branches._

Underneath the description was a worn drawing of the 'branches' of the one magic. It was very complicated, but underneath the picture was a deeper explanation.

 _The one magic is said to be the mark of a strong soul, rumored to be harnessed through a 'meditative state' or triggered by a certain event._

Triggered by a certain event...? He flipped the page curiously, only to find that the section had ended.

Growling slightly, he stared at the book blankly as he searched for an answer.

...If it was based on a soul... Each person has a different soul, so everyone would have a different event that would trigger their 'one magic'.

He continued to work at this, scratching into the blanks of the book. Before he knew it, his eyes had closed and his parents were shaking him awake.

He woke up, rubbing his eyes. "Wuh..." Looking up at his parents, he added: "Ohayo."

His parents laughed. "Why are you sleeping on the floor, Zeref?" They teased.

He pouted. "I was studying," Looking at his smudged notes, he added: "-I guess I fell asleep."

His mother smiled tenderly. "Happy birthday, Zeref."

He smiled back, walking with his parents to the front door. "Thank you," he whispered softly.

Watching his parents walk out the door, he sighed and closed his book.

He threw on a newer robe (it was only a year old) and sighed. "Might as well go to the town..." He murmured.

Underneath his bed frame was a small stash of money he had saved up. Looking at it now, it wasn't much (only about 1000 jewels), but it was sure to get a new book or something.

The air outside was cold, he noticed. He wondered if his thin robe would be enough. Probably not.

Other children his age were running happily in the streets, playing tag. He stopped to stare at them for a second, and then passed them.

 _It must be nice to be so carefree..._

There were a lot of shops in the square. Clothing stores, toy stores, book stores and restaurants crowded the square. In the distance, he could spot a few mansions and houses.

He stopped in front of a small, run down bookstore. Looking up at the sign, he read:

Kirai's Books

Curious, he walked in. Various books were lined on the walls, each with different titles and authors. In front of the books was a smaller man organizing the books.

 _He must be the manager._

"Excuse me?"

The man jumped, and straightened his glasses. "Yes, sir...?" He squinted at Zeref. "Beg your pardon, the toy shop is next door."

He sighed. "Do you have any books on the one magic?"

The man chuckled. "Ah, the one magic. I do believe I have a few, beg your pardon." The man zoomed into the back.

"O- okay..." _Well,_ he thought, _at least he's enthusiastic..._

He kneeled down, peering at the bottom shelf.

The shelf contained various different books, from picture books to advanced arithmetic.

"Ah, here's a good one, beg your pardon!"

He turned his head to look at the man, grabbing the book.

"It was written by one of the professors at Isiya. It uses a lot of advanced theories and a lot of examples. It's not too difficult for you, beg your pardon?"

He shrugged. "No, it's fine. How much is it?" He asked.

"Oh, the price? 3000 jewels. It is a very good book, beg your pardon."

 _...Maybe he could read it in the store?_ He certainly had enough time for it.

He sat down and opened the book. Pouring through pages, he kept reading until dark.

...

Many months went by like this. He and the man had gotten to know each other very well.

"Ah, Zeref-kun! Nice to see you again!"

He nodded. "Nice to see you, too, Wei-san. Any new books come in lately?"

Wei smiled micheviously. "Only for a fee, of course. Tell me, Zeref-kun..."

He sighed.

"-how is your otōto doing, beg your pardon?"

He smiled proudly. "He's due any day now," he stated proudly.

"Oh. Well, I got a book on one magic earlier, if you're interested."

He smiled. "No, just here to pick up a book for my dad. One on the dragon legend."

Wei gasped as he started to browse through the books. "Legend?!" Wei's eyes looked like they had popped out of his head. "The dragons are no mere legend, beg your pardon!"

He sighed, purchasing the book that Wei had given him. "Maybe for you. They seem too powerful to me."

Wei chuckled. "Ah, always such a man of science. See you soon, Zeref-kun?"

He nodded. "See you soon, Wei-san."

...

"Mom, Dad, I'm home-" The wails of a child was all that was heard.

He ran, panicked to the source of the sound.

It was a small, pink-haired baby with onyx-gray eyes similar to his. The child reminded him of summer.

"Zeref..." The sad face of his dad greeted him. "I'm sorry."

He looked at his dad confusedly. "What do you mean?"

His mom's hands were clasping the baby, her hands gracefully holding the edges of his body. _Surely it doesn't mean what I think it means...?_

"Zeref... Your mother... She died giving birth to your brother." Tears brimmed on the edges of his father's eyes.

He dropped the book, stunned. _What would someone say to this? What could he possibly do to comfort his father in this situation?_

He took a breath, tears blurring his vision. "In the absence of life, another was brought into the world. Wherever mom is, she would want us to move on." He smiled. "Live, in her absence..."

He swallowed, blinking back the tears. His father nodded. "Yes, I suppose she would..." His dad's words turned to a mumble. "-that's why I loved- love her..."

His dad's tone perked up slightly as he focused on the child. "What should we name him, Zeref?"

An unspoken agreement between father and son was formed. "Natsu."

His dad smiled. "A great name, for the embodiment of summer itself."

 **AN: Alright, woohoo! A long one. I AM NOW TAKING REQUESTS, PEOPLE! Sooo, if you want me to write something(which I doubt you will) I'll write it! Please, review, follow, favorite!**


	4. Hide And Go Boom

**AN: I've always wondered about Zeref's demons. So I thought, hey, what if Zeref had to raise when they were children? And that sparked the idea for this chapter.**

"Onii-san...!" He sighed, avoiding his otōto's eyes.

Natsu frowned. "Onii-san...! Are you even paying attention...?" Natsu crossed his arms, pouting.

"...What is it, Natsu." He replied, annoyed.

Natsu grinned. "Are they done yet? I can't wait to see them...!"

Ah, yes. His newest demons. His otōto had seemed lonely, so he'd decided to create some friends (and hopefully nannies, he thought he was growing some gray hairs last time he looked in the mirror) to keep him company.

"...I'm almost done, Natsu. Can you wait an hour?" He'd been rushing this project, to say the least. He wouldn't be surprised to find any mistakes.

"...Alright, Zeref-nii..." Natsu pouted, leaving the room.

Hopefully his otōto wouldn't destroy anything. (Oh, who was he kidding.)

He sighed, hunching back over and losing himself in the books under him.

Surely his brother wouldn't mind if he spent a little longer on these books... It was a present, after all.

...

Natsu hunched over, sitting on the roof of a small house. "Zeref-nii sure is taking a long time writing those books..."

Natsu pulled his hair in frustration, nearly falling off the roof. "Ah... I'm bored..." He complained loudly.

He frowned. "Zeref-nii said I couldn't destroy anything else this week..."

Sure, he loved destroying things, but he loved his aniki too. He didn't want to disappoint him. (Besides, he may or may not have been slightly scared of his aniki.)

"Oh, I know! I can go get food from a restaurant or something!" Natsu nodded, jolting up with his eyes sparkling.

...

He knew he had rushed, but he didn't expect errors this bad.

...He's going to get gray hairs before he even actually ages.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

In front of him were food three year olds. Oh, how he wished to die. (He can't raise children! Have you seen Natsu?!)

"...Nothing." He gawked at the young demons.

One of the demons had started to rip apart his bedsheets. The other three joined him in haste.

"What the- no, don't touch that!" He yelped. The demons stopped for a moment, startled. He breathed a sigh of relief.

...Then they started right back up again. "No, what did I say, don't do that-"

One of the demons smirked, sticking out their tongue.

"Why you... Get over here...!" He growled, black aura overtaking him.

...

"I wonder if Zeref-nii's done yet..." Natsu rubbed his stomach, content. A bulge could be seen under a baggy shirt.

"Thanks, miss!" He grinned, getting up.

"Wait... You have to pay in order to leave."

"I don't have any money." He replied carelessly.

"Well, you are nearly all of our supply so I'm gonna need some type of compensation."

He smirked. "Think again, lady." He flicked his finger, setting the place on fire.

It was a shame he had to destroy this town. It had a nice restaurant.

Oh well, not that big of a deal. He'll probably come across another good restaurant eventually.

...

He growled, throwing one of the children in a cell. "Stay. There." At this point, an angry black aura had surrounded him.

"Daddy...! Come on play, play with us!" He grit his teeth. _Can't they take a hint?!_

"No." The whispered word sent shivers down the children's spines, and they started to cry.

...Oh, how he hated children.

"Ahh..! No, no, don't cry...! Please, I'll do anything...!"

The children perked up. "...Anything..?" They questioned.

He nodded gruffly.

"Play hide and seek with us!"

...Well, at least they'd be quiet. "Alright, who's it?" He asked.

"Not it...!" One of the children screamed. The rest followed as he stared at them, puzzled.

"You're it, daddy!"

He frowned. "It's Zeref."

The child shrugged indifferently. "Whatever. Alright, don't look, we're gonna hide!"

He closed his eyes.

...How exactly does one play hide and seek...?

"Yo, Zeref-nii... ...What are you doing?" His otōto had snuck behind him.

"...I'm playing hide and seek, apparently."

"Oh cool!" Natsu chirped. "Who's it?"

"...Me, I think."

Natsu pouted. "No way! That's not fair, Zeref-nii...! Now you found me... You could have told me first..."

He chuckled. "How about you help me in finding everyone else, Natsu."

His otōto perked up. "Yay! Alright, I'll be back soon, Zeref-nii!"

"Natsu-!" He sighed. "...you need to know what they actually look like..." He sat down, rubbing his temple. "Well, at least I can take a nap..."

He leaned against the tree, and before he knew it, he'd fallen asleep.

...

"Shhh... Don't wake up Zeref-nii...!"

What the-

Childish giggles erupted around him, but were quickly silenced. He opened one eye, demons brandishing uncapped markers alongside his otōto.

They didn't... They wouldn't, right?

"Natsu," he growled. "-might I ask what you _did_ while I was asleep?"

Natsu shivered. "I- I played hide and seek with Mard and everyone... else..." Natsu broke off.

"Oh? And please tell me, what were you planning to do with those markers?"

One of the demons, a black-haired one, started to sob. "Mard is sorry! The others bullied him into doing it! Mard is very sorry! Please don't punish him!"

He grit his teeth. " _Natsu_ ," He gave Natsu a deadly glare. "-is this true?"

Natsu paled, shivering and avoiding his eyes. "N-no..."

He sighed. "Natsu, you _may_ be my otōto... But that also means I can punish you when you misbehave."

"Wh- what?"

...

For some reason, a woman felt a sudden chill.

 _Oh well,_ she thought. _It must not be important._

 _Besides, I do have a restaurant to rebuild..._

She sighed, looking at the ruined shack.

 _And he didn't even pay..._

 **AN: Yes, I am aware that my work is very much similar to that of ef07's series. That's where I got my inspiration from, so I would like to thank ef07. Anyways, go ahead and make some requests! I could use the inspiration! And please forgive me for the short chapter! I promise there will be more like these soon.**


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